Zion Williamson struggled to lose weight, determined to follow LeBron James before the new season

During an appearance on Gil's Arena Show with former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, Zion Williamson acknowledged the difficulties in maintaining his diet as well as his weight control problems.

The 23-year-old shared: “Maintaining a proper diet for my body is really difficult. Adding to the huge income that I received during my time competing, it made the problem of weight control even more stressful.”

Zion Williamson signed a five-year, $193 million max-contract last season. The deal could be worth up to $231 million, but according to reports, there's a stipulation embedded in the deal.

It was the Pelicans leadership that required him to weigh less than 295 pounds (133 kg). So far, Zion Williamson's weight and fitness remains a major issue in the player's career.

On the eve of the 2021-22 season, Zion showed up at the "Pelicans" training camp weighing more than 300 pounds (136 kg).

Zion Williamson has played just 114 games in four years for the Pelicans. This young star is constantly suffering from complicated injuries, which greatly affect his playing time as well as his performance. Zion even had to miss the entire 2021-2022 season due to a foot injury.

Pelicans executive vice-president David Griffin said: "I think he is aware of what is happening and will try to make it better.

We should have a more positive view of his entire transformation. Ultimately, the change depends entirely on Zion. The club will always support and provide the best services for him to do that.”

This striker shared that he is currently actively building a healthy diet, aiming for better weight and fitness for next season.

He also added that he is following a detailed training plan of Lakers superstar - LeBron James - this summer to improve his flexibility as well as the ability to connect with teammates.